Cam assembly for knitting machines



Feb. 18, 1958 P. L. ST. PIERRE ETAL 2,823,529

CAM ASSEMBLY FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 N Iuvmrazs PHI/L L. .57 P/GFKE JbssPH Mu lah 6K 13, 1958 P. L. ST. PIERRE ErAL 2,823,529

CAM ASSEMBLY FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q Zwuvrom *2 PAUL L. FTP/1986 bSEP/f MWZOMK Feb. 18, 1958 P. L. ST. PIERRE ETAL 2,

cm ASSEMBLY FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet s .Z'NVENTOKS Pnu; L. 57- P/eeec Jase/ H W9 4:

Feb. 18, 1958 P. L. ST. PIERRE ETAL CAM ASSEMBLY FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In 5 HI mlII- all/Ill n or J3 I/VVE/VTQRS P404 1.. 57- F/aees 1055p lwn/zazvzk United States Patent CAM ASSEMBLY FOR KNITTING MACHINES Paul L. St. Pierre, Pawtucket, and Joseph Wawzonek, Cumberland, R. L, assignors to Hemphill Company, Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,215

8 Claims. (CI. 66-54) This invention concerns circular, independent needle, knitting machines, and particularly the supporting assembly for needle operating cams used in such machines.

The cams which operate the needles in circular knitting machines are, customarily, supported on a cam plate which usually surrounds and follows the contour of the cylinder so that the cams are conveniently supported in proximity to the cylinder and in operative relation with one another so as to constitute a cam path for the operating butts of the needles, which path determines the needle operating cycle.

Since a considerable number of cams having different functions are supported from the same plate, proper positioning of the plate is critical and means must be provided so that: all of the cams can be adjusted as a unit, groups of cams can be adjustable as assemblies, and individual cams can be adjusted independently. This problem of cam adjustment is especially critical in fine gauge two-feed machines, particularly those adapted to knit ladies sheer hosiery, because of the necessity for identical stitch formation at both knitting stations.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved cam supporting means for circular knitting machines, and one which will facilitate and cut down the number of operations involved in cam adjustments.

This is accomplished with a pivoted cam plate which provides a laterally adjustable support for the principal needle operating cams of the machine, and a unitary assembly mounted on the cam plate which permits vertical adjustment of a stitch cam and lateral adjustment of its associated needle raise cam in a single operation.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is the top half of the cylinder of a circular, independent needle, knitting machine and some of its associated mechanism;

Figure 2 is an end view of a unitary stitch and raise cam assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the needle cylinder of the other figures showing a part of the supporting frame and the stitch regulating mechanism of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a side view showing more details of the stitch regulating mechanism of Figure 4.

The needle cylinder 1 shown in Figure 1 is capped by the usual sinker head 2 and sinker cap 3. A carrier ring 4 supports, in proximity to the top of the cylinder, the customary yarn feeding fingers 5 and 6 constituting, respectively, a main yarn feeding or knitting station M and an auxiliary station A.

The cylinder 1 is slotted in the usual manner to hold knitting needles which are operated by means of cams adapted to engage butts at the bottom of the needles.

2,823,529 Patented Feb. is, 1958 There are a considerable number of needle operating cams clustered around the cylinder of a circular knitting machine. These cams raise or lower needles at the time, and to the degree, required by the different operations of the knitting cycle. The present invention will be described with reference to an auxiliary stitch cam 7 and its associated needle raise earn 8. which are shown in perspective in Figure 1 and in end view, with respect to the needle cylinder 1, in Figure 2. v

The auxiliary stitch cam 7 engages the butts of needles passing along the path 9 and draws them downward in a stitch forming operation. The needle raise cam 8 engages the butts of the needles after the stitch cam 7 has caused them to draw a loop so that the needles will be raised slightly and cooperate with the sinkers (not shown) in casting previously formed loops of completely knitted fabric oil the needles.

Cam 7 is adjustably secured to a slide 10, and cam 8 is screwed to a plate 11 which is fastened to an extension 12 of the main body portion of the cam 7. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

As shown in Figure 3, the slide 10 is L-shaped and a plate 13 is secured by two screws 14 and 15 to the shorter arm of the L. The plate 13 is notched to engage an annular channel in an adjusting screw 16 threaded into the body portion of the cam 7, so that, as the screw is turned, it raises and lowers the cam 7. As shown in Figure 2, a locking screw 17 is provided, passing through a slot in the rear of the short arm of the L to lock in place the cam 7 once its height has been adjusted by turning the screw 16.

Horizontal adjustment of the cam 8 is accomplished by means of a screw 18 passing through an elongated slot in the plate 11.

The slide id is supported by a bracket 19 carried on the main cam plate 20. A spring 21 secured to the slide It) by a screw 22 and to the supporting bracket by a screw 23 holds the cams 7 and 8 at the end of slide '10 against the cylinder. The cams can be drawn away from the cylinder and out of engagement with the needle butts by a lever 24, shown in section in Figure 3, which engages with stud 25 (best shown in Fig. 1) screwed into the slide 10.

This unitary mounting of the stitch cam 7 and its associated raise earn 8 finds considerable merit in two-feed fine gauge ladies sheer hosiery machines when they are eing adjusted to produce equal stitches at both of the feeds. It is customary to set the cams at the main station to knit the stitch desired, and then to adjust the auxiliary stitch cam by raising or lowering to produce the same stitch at the auxiliary station. This operation usually calls for several trial settings of the stitch cam, involving raising or lowering it to different positions.

Figure 2 shows that, when the stitch cam 7 is moved either up or down in a vertical direction, its associated raise cam 8 must be moved in a horizontal direction in order to permit a needle butt to pass between the two cams and to maintain a constant position with reference to the stitch cam 7. By making both cams movable as a unit, this mechanism of the assembly described has eliminated considerable extra adjustment.

The cam assembly described above and the other principal needle cam assemblies of the machine are all carried by a cam plate 20. As shown in Figure 4, this plate is supported by a shaft 26 which is secured to the plate 20 by a screw 27 and pivots in a socket 28 attached to the main frame of the machine. This pivotal support makes it possible to move the plate 26 laterally so that the accumulated cam assemblies carried on the plate can be centered with respect to the needle cylinder 1.

Once the cam plate 20 has been pivoted to the proper lateral position, it is held in position by means of a clamp which is best shown in Figure 6. This clamp consists of two hardened buttons 29 and 30 pressed into a hole drilled through a rigid post or bracket 31 supported by the main frame of the machine. Adjustable threaded studs or screws 32 and 33 are screwed through the plate '20 and can be turned to accomplish the proper lateral pivoting and centering adjustment of the plate 20. The screws 32 and 33 are locked by means of set screws 34 and 35, respectively.

The shaft 26 is not only pivotable in the socket '28 (seeFigs. 4 and but is also slidable therethrough. Sliding the shaft up and down in'the socket 28 makes it possible to raise and lower all of the needle operating cams uniformly for fashioning purposes, e. g. draw shorter loops and make tighter stitches in the leg and instep and longer loops and a looser stitch-in the welt and upper part of the-stocking. The buttons 29 and 3% are sufficiently large, and the ends of the screws 32 and 33, where they engage the buttons, are polished to permit a close adjustment against lateral drifting and yet allow the plate 20 to be moved a sufiicient distance for stitch fashioning.

The shaft 26 has a reduced portion of smaller diameter 26a which extends down through a hole in the circular base 36 of the machine where it rests upon a hardened pin 37 pressed into one end of a lever 38 which is fulcrumed at its opposite end and has a second hardened pin 39 pressed into its center portion. This lever 38 overlies a second lever 40 which is operated by conventional fashioning cams 41 on a fashioning drum 42 in the customary manner to raise and lower the cam plate and thereby make loose or tight stitches as desired for different parts of the stocking. A connecting link 43 is inserted between the lever 38 and an adjustable screw 4 which is threaded into the lever 40.

By means of the adjustable cam plate and unitary cam assembly described above, the present invention provides cam assembly and supporting means which are relatively simple to manufacture and facile in adjustment, and particularly useful in producing uniform stitches at separate knitting stations.

We claim:

1. In or for a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a rotatable needle bearing cylinder, a cam supporting plate surrounding said cylinder, a support for said cam plate comprising a pivot upon which said plate is capable of being swung to permit lateral adjustment between said plate and said cylinder, and an adjustable clamp adapted to maintain said plate in its adjusted horizontal position.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a needle bearing cylinder and needle operating cams, adjustable means for supporting said cams in proximity to said cylinder which comprises a cam supporting plate substantially surroundingsaid cylinder and a pivot member upon which said plate may be swung laterally to control the proximity of said plate to said cylinder.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and wherein said pivot comprises a socket and shaft.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and wherein said shaft is slidable within said socket to raise and lower said plate.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and wherein cam means are provided for automatically sliding-said shaft in a desired cycle.

6. The invention according to claim 2 and wherein clamping means is provided for-locking said plate in a to movement of said plate anda second member movable with said plate, and wherein said first member comprises a rigid post with one or more smooth surfaces and the other of said members comprises one or more studs with smooth ends adpated to engage a smooth surface of said post.

References Cited in the file ofthis. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,208,307 Lawson et al July 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 711,824 Great Britain July 14, 1954 

